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Feb 13 2013

Raspberry + Nutella Linzer Almond Heart Sandwich Cookies

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Raspberry + Nutella Linzer Almond Heart Sandwich Cookies

Valentine’s Day is almost here! Valentine’s is one of my favorite holidays {because the stores are filled with cute heart products plus it’s a day to commemorate those who mean the world to you). I love to share this day with my loved ones whether it’s with the bf, family or friends. Plus, my baby brother’s birthday is also on Valentine’s Day too, so it’s an extra special day!

Today, I’m sharing a recipe that you can make for your sweetheart or loved ones. This Italian raspberry + nutella linzer almond heart sandwich cookie recipe, adapted from Real Simple is a winner. The cookies are too cute + yummy!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2/3 cup almonds
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup {2 sticks} unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • confectioners’ sugar
  • jar of raspberry jam
  • jar of nutella {chocolate hazelnut spread}

PREP THE ALMOND MIXTURE

1// Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds on a baking pan and toast for 6-8 minutes. Let the almonds cool down.
2// In a food processor, add the toasted almonds and brown sugar. Process until the almonds are finely ground.

PREPARE THE COOKIE DOUGH

1// In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2// In a separate bowl, beat the butter and white sugar on medium-high speed with an electric mixer. Mix until it’s fluffy {2-4 minutes}. Then beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the almond mixture and flour mixer. Mix until all of it’s combined {should be a doughy texture}.
3// Divide the dough in half and shape them into a ball. Put the dough in a ziploc bag {or plastic wrap} and refrigerate until firm {1-3 hours}.

BAKE THE COOKIES

1// Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle some flour on your surface {I laid out a large piece of parchment paper} and roll out each piece of dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use a 2-1/2 wide heart cookie cutter, cut the dough into heart shapes. Then use a 1-1/4 wide heart cookie cutter to cut the centers {this will be the top layer of the cookie}. I baked the mini inside hearts too {or you can reroll the scraps to make hearts for your cookies}.
2// Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden. Let it cool before you start frosting the first layer.

SANDWICH THE COOKIES

1// Sprinkle the confectioners’s sugar on the cookies with the holes + mini hearts if you decided to bake them {use a mesh strainer to dust the powdered sugar onto the cookies}
2// Spread a layer of raspberry jam or nutella on the remaining cookies {the ones without the holes} and top with the sugared cookies to make a sandwich.

Raspberry + Nutella Linzer Almond Heart Sandwich Cookies

And there you have it; cute heart-shaped raspberry + nutella linzer almond cookies. Happy baking!

{Photos by Tiffany Nguyen}

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Jan 30 2013

Balsamic Shallot Glazed Baked Salmon

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Balsamic Baked Salmon Recipe

During the week, I typically make one meat {either chicken or fish} dish + steam a bunch of veges and eat the same thing every day for lunch + dinner. It does get repetitive but I have trained myself for a year to eat the same thing over and over again {it’s not so bad!}. The reason why I eat the same thing repetitively because 1// I was training for awhile with Fit180 and part of my healthy lifestyle plan was that I had to eat better, healthier foods so that meant, I had to cook most of my meals. I cooked in bulk so that I only had to do most of the prep and cleaning only once a week 2// I like to eat healthier during the week and to do that, I have to plan out my meals and 3// I’m always on the go so I don’t have a lot of time to cook often. If I give myself a slight chance to think about what I want to eat for lunch/dinner, that’s when I get side tracked and start eating really bad food like fast food {which is something I try to stay away from!}.

Well friends, I would like to share this delicious baked salmon recipe! It’s sooo easy + quick to make!

Balsamic Baked Salmon Recipe

INGREDIENTS

  • 4-6 salmon fillets
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon pure honey
  • 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup of chopped shallots {there’s really no limit here!}
  • 1/8 teaspoon himalayan pink salt {or regular salt}
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon & pepper seasoning
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup of chopped chive {optional}

PREP + COOK

1// Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2// Chop the shallots {and chive} and add all the ingredients in a bowl. Remember to wash and pat the salmon steaks dry. Add the salmon steaks to the glaze and make sure the glaze gets on all parts of the salmon steaks. Save the remaining glaze for later.
3// Set the salmon steaks on a baking tray
4// Once the oven reaches 400 degrees, start baking one side of the salmon steak for 10-12 minutes
5// Then flip the salmon steak, add the remaining glaze and cook the other side for another 10-12 minutes

Balsamic Baked Salmon Recipe

The salmon is considered cook when the fish is flakey!

Balsamic Baked Salmon Recipe

Accompany the baked salmon with a salad + steamed veges! And you’ve got yourself an awesome, healthy + delicious meal! Told you it was easy!

{Photos by Tiffany Nguyen}

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Jan 25 2013

Mi Quang Recipe {Vietnamese Turmeric Noodles with Shrimp, Pork and Sausages}

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It wasn’t until my trip to central Vietnam a few years ago that I really began to appreciate this complex mi quang dish. There are so many different components + ingredients to this specialty noodle dish including yellow turmeric noodles topped with a variety of fresh leafy herbs, lime juice, pork belly, shrimp, jelly fish, crushed peanuts, and black sesame crackers.

This noodle dish has a complex – is it a noodle soup or is it dry noodles? It’s different than most Vietnamese broth-based noodle soups like pho because the broth is poured only enough to slightly cover the noodles {in a way, the broth is more like a sauce}.

Mi Quang Recipe

Here’s a recipe to making mi quang noodles:

STEP ONE // MAKE THE BROTH

Ingredients:

  • 10 cups of water
  • 2.5 lbs spare ribs {cut into riblets}
  • 3 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon {TB} minced shallots
  • .5 TB olive oil
  • pinch of salt

Mi Quang Recipe

Wash the pork riblets thoroughly. Heat a soup pot on medium-high heat and add the olive oil, garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Then add the spare ribs. After it starts browning, remove the pot away from the heat and add the 10 cups of water. Put the pot back on the burner and let it simmer for 1 hour on low heat.

STEP TWO // PREPARE + SAUTE THE PORK + SHRIMP

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb shrimp {peel shell + devein}
  • 1 lb pork belly {cut into thin slices}
  • 3 TB annato seed oil*
  • 2.5 TB fish sauce
  • 1.5 TB paprika
  • 3 TB sugar
  • 2 TB minced shallots
  • 1.5 TB minced garlic
  • salt to taste
  • pepper/peppercorn to taste

Mi Quang Recipe

* To make annato seed oil, heat a small saucepan and add 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoon of annato seed over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until the oil turns into a deep red, orange color. Strain and discard the seed.

Mi Quang Recipe

Pour the annato oil into a large frying pan and saute the shallots and garlic. Then add the pork belly and let it cook 3/4 way before adding the shrimp. Then add the rest of the ingredients: fish sauce, sugar, paprika, and add salt and pepper to taste {I like a lot of pepper}. Saute until the shrimp and pork are fully cooked.

Mi Quang Recipe

STEP THREE // COMBINE THE BROTH + SAUCE FROM THE SAUTEED MEAT

This is not the traditional way of making the broth but I wanted my broth to be more flavorful than the traditional “nuoc leo” broth. So, I strained the sauteed meat and took the sauce from the sauteed meat and added it to the simmering broth. Stir the broth + sauce and taste it. If the broth is not flavorful enough, add a little bit more of fish sauce, salt, and/or sugar. Let the broth simmer for another 30 minutes on low heat.

STEP FOUR // COOK THE TURMERIC NOODLES

  • 1 package of mi quang noodles
  • 1 tsp olive oil

or make your own turmeric noodles

  • 1 package of white pho wide noodles
  • turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp olive oil

Mi Quang Recipe

You can either make your own turmeric noodles which essentially is pho noodles with turmeric powder. Just follow the directions on the packaging and then add turmeric {turmeric adds the yellow color but it doesn’t really have any flavor} and sprinkle some olive oil to keep the noodles from drying and the strands from sticking together.

Mi Quang Recipe

Or you can go the easier route and buy packaged mi quang noodles. Just a word of caution, the noodles cook very fast, about 3-5 minutes so make sure you keep an eye on it. You don’t want your noodles too soft. Remember to sprinkle a bit of oil to keep the noodle strand from sticking together.

STEP FIVE // PREP THE TOPPINGS

Ingredients:

  • variety of fresh mints found at Asian supermarkets
  • bean sprouts
  • lettuce
  • chives
  • banana blossom {peeled, remove the white flower between each leaf, then stack the purple layers and cut into thin strips. put the cut strips into a bowl of water with lime juice to prevent it from browning}
  • cilantro {for garnishing}
  • green onions {chopped}
  • lime wedges
  • roasted, crushed peanuts
  • black sesame crackers {broken into big pieces}
  • Vietnamese pork sausage {“cha”}
  • red chili sauce
  • jelly fish {found in the refrigerated area of the Asian supermarkets}

Mi Quang Recipe

The Vietnamese pork sausages + jelly fish are already cooked so they don’t need to be sauteed with the meat.

Mi Quang Recipe

Mi Quang Recipe

I add a lot of veges to my bowl {it covers about 1/3 of the bowl}!

STEP FIVE // ASSEMBLE THE BOWL + EAT !

Mi Quang Recipe

Now it’s time to layer your bowl! Start by adding some noodles to your bowl, pour the broth over the noodles {about 1/4 of the bowl}, and add some meat, a lot of veges, banana blossoms, and broken pieces of the rice crackers. Then sprinkle peanuts, cilantro, green onions and finish it off with lime juice. Add some chili sauce if you like your food spicy.

Boy, was that a lot of steps but it’s darn good + so worth it. This is a great special noodle dish to make over the weekend for your family + friends!

{on a side note: when it comes to Vietnamese cooking, my mom never writes down her recipes and there is never precise measurement. She just taste as she preps + cooks and I do the same when it comes to Vietnamese cooking. Some like it more salty, others like it sweeter. So during this process, when I was sauteing the meat, I’d taste the pork and if it was too salty, I’d add a little bit more sugar. If it was too sweet, I added a bit more of the fish sauce. Do the same with the broth. Remember to always taste your food before you serve it! Happy cooking!}

{Photos by Tiffany Nguyen}

Tags: mi quang recipe, vietnamese cooking
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Jan 16 2013

Mangosteen Memories

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Mangosteen

A couple of my friends are planning their destination weddings this year and both weddings will be in Asia! It got me thinking about my last trip there. I discovered a very unique fruit: mangosteen.

I recalled the first time I had this exotic fruit. It was when my sister, cousin, and I went on a journey to Asia, exploring Vietnam, Thailand and Beijing on our very own. Our family in Vietnam knew how much we loved fruit so they bought us a variety of different fruits we have never seen or eaten. When they opened up the fruit for us, it revealed this gorgeous flesh. The flesh of the mangosteen had a unique sweet + tart flavor.

The mangosteen fruit can look tricky to open because it has a thick inedible rind. It can be opened in two ways: with your hands or with a knife.

If it has just been harvested, the mangosteen fruit is soft enough to be opened by a firm press or twist on its outer surface. Since the mangosteen fruit gets imported to the States, by the time it makes it to the States, the rind hardens. This is when you will need to use a knife to carefully cut around the circumference of the mangosteen fruit. Avoid cutting too deep because you’ll end up cutting the edible flesh. Once you create a cut around the fruit, twist it to open. The wedges look similar to a garlic clove. Scoop out the wedge and enjoy! Be careful because each wedge may have a seed that should not be eaten.

Now, I’m trying to create a traveling fund in hopes that I can make it to any one of these weddings. Please let me know if you want to donate to my traveling fund! I kid {OK, maybe not}.

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Jan 11 2013

The Best Food I Ate … In California

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I know you are probably thinking I’m always in California! I think you’re onto something… I do spent a good amount of my days in Cali; it’s as if I never left!

Well no trip to Cali goes without eating good food! As you can tell, food is a big part of my life. Here are the best things I ate during my trip to Orange County, California during the holidays.

Lobster Roll Sushi Town Costa Mesa CA


Fresh Sushi Town Costa Mesa CA

LOBSTER ROLL + FRESH THICK CUTS OF SASHIMI + FRESH WASABI // SUSHI TOWN, COSTA MESA

Banh Beo Westminster CA

VIETNAMESE RICE CAKE WITH MUNG BEAN + SHRIMP // THACH CHE HIEN KHANH, WESTMINSTER

Zankhou Chicken Orange CA

CRISPY ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SECRET GARLIC SAUCE // ZANKOU CHICKEN, ORANGE

Vietnamese Sesame Balls CA

SESAME MUNG BEAN BALLS WITH A HINT OF ORANGE ZEST + RICE BALLS // QUAN HY // THACH CHE HIEN KHANH, WESTMINSTER

Chicken and Rice Orange CA

CHICKEN + RICE WITH LIVERS + HEARTS // QUAN VY DA, WESTMINSTER

Furiwa Westminster CA Taro Dessert

CHINESE TARO DESSERT // FURIWA, WESTMINSTER

Japanese BBQ Manpuku Costa Mesa CA

Japanese BBQ Manpuku Costa Mesa CA

JAPANESE BBQ + STONEPOT GARLIC RICE // MANPUKU, COSTA MESA

Bottega Louie Los Angeles Macarons

Bottega Louie Los Angeles Pizza

Bottega Louie Los Angeles Beignets

MACARONS, PIZZA + BEIGNETS // BOTTEGA LOUIE, LOS ANGELES

Flemings Steak Newport Beach

LARGE CUT OF FILET MIGNON // FLEMING’S STEAKHOUSE, NEWPORT BEACH

Whisknladle Bone Marrow La Jolla CA

BONE MARROW WITH SHALLOTS, PARSLEY + BUTTERED TOAST // WHISKNLADLE, LA JOLLA

Extraordinary Desserts Bread Pudding San Diego CA

CHOCOLATE CROISSANT BREAD PUDDING // EXTRAORDINARY DESSERTS, SAN DIEGO

Teuscher champagne chocolates

CHAMPAGNE TRUFFLES // TEUSCHER, BEVERLY HILLS

And now… I’m getting hungry. Happy eating ya’ll!

Tags: banh beo, best food in california, best food in orange county, best food in southern california, bottega louie, che, extraordinary desserts, flemings, food reviews, furiwa, hien khanh, japanese barbeque, japanese bbq, manpuku, newport beach, sushi, sushi town, teuscher truffles, whisknladel, zankhou chicken
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